XXI.—Touching Isabel Heriot.
This woman was born at Peaston, in the parish of Ormiston, and was for several years a very useful servant to the minister there, for all manner of out-house work. She was of a low stature, small and slender of body, of a black complexion, her head stood somewhat awry upon her neck; she was of a drolling and jeering humour, and would have spoken to persons of honour with great confidence.
After several years service, the minister began to dislike her, especially upon account of her not profiting in the knowledge of God, she having so much opportunity and occasion to know and learn; therefore she was put away, and went to other service for a long time; after which she returned to Ormiston town, and was sometimes haunting the minister’s house, but without his knowledge. She took sickness about the beginning of winter 1680; and about the time of her death, her face became extremely black. Within three or four nights after she was buried, one Isabel Murray, relict of William Craig the kirk officer, saw her apparition about twelve o’clock at night, and her white robes upon her, such as she was put into her coffin with, walking from the chapel toward the minister’s louping-on stone, where, according to her custom when she was alive, she halted a little while with her elbow leaning upon it. After this, she observed her to walk in at the minister’s back-yard towards the stable. We have only the bare testimony of this one woman for it. Within some few nights after, there was a throwing of stones over the minister’s house, and some thrown at the hall-door and windows. The stones were found in the close next morning, when they lighted; they fell softly for the most part. The minister coming in one night (against whom the devil’s malice chiefly was) at the back-door, and shutting it after him, had a great stone cast after him, which hit the door very smartly, and left a mark and impression behind it; this she did, or rather the devil, in imitation of a prank she had played while alive, for the minister having caused the other servants thrust her out at the same door, she threw a great stone at it with violence out of wrath and anger. The foresaidIsabel Murray coming out of the minister’s house one night, or going into it, was hit very sharply with a stone upon her back. The servant-man that keeped the horses, after he had been at his devotion, and was going into his bed in the stable, was by somewhat gripped by the heel, to his great amazement; he giving a great and loud cry, the mistress of the family and others came into the stable, and found the lad under a great affrightment: this night several clods and stones were thrown, but no person touched. One thing was remarkable, that an old horse comb, which had been wanting for several years, was thrown at the lad’s bed-stead with great violence, yet wronged nobody. The horses would have been found the next morning standing and lying disorderly, and sometimes all in a great sweat.——While the servant-man had been dressing the garden, he hath found several stones thrown at him, but was never touched, save by one, which hit him very favourably; the house was sometimes troubled within with some small noise and din.—One time there was a burning coal thrown under one of the beds. One of the family upon a night, had his night-cap taken of his head in the bed, and found the next morning full of cinders and ashes, lying under the chimney. If the devil could have done more, surely he would have done it. This is the most part of the trouble which the family met with, which continued for eight or nine weeks, not every night, but now and then; during which time, frequent and fervent prayers were sent up to God by those of the family, and others out of it, which wanted not success. There was much talking of this ghost, and things spoken rashly, and some out of malice did invent lies and untruths. One jeering, said, “Now let the ministerand his brethren, with all their prayers, drive away the devil.” It is very remarkable, after that time, that there was no more trouble found about the family.—For what follows, we have only the simple word of the foresaid Isabel Murray, who, coming home from the church between the sermons, to the town of Ormiston, to visit her house and kail-yard, for fear of vagrant cows coming over the dyke, and going down her yard, she saw in the minister’s yard, being next adjacent, the apparition of Isabel Heriot, in that very habit she was laid in the coffin with. Never was an egg liker to another, than this apparition was like her face, her stature, her motion, her tongue, and behaviour. As like was the devil to her, as Apollo was to old Butes, whom Virgil excellently describes in the ninth book of his Eneids, bringing him down from heaven to wait upon Ascanius.
Ascantiumque petit, forma tum vertiture orisAntiquum in Butten—Ibut ApolloOmnia longacvo similes, vocemque coloremqueEtrorines albos et saeva sonantibus arma.Apollo went, and from the heaven descends,And in old Butes’ form, to Ascanius bends.In all points, like the old man still he went,Whom then to wait on’s son, Æneas, sent;Such his white hair, complexion, and his voice,And dreadful arms, rattling with mighty noise.
Ascantiumque petit, forma tum vertiture orisAntiquum in Butten—Ibut ApolloOmnia longacvo similes, vocemque coloremqueEtrorines albos et saeva sonantibus arma.Apollo went, and from the heaven descends,And in old Butes’ form, to Ascanius bends.In all points, like the old man still he went,Whom then to wait on’s son, Æneas, sent;Such his white hair, complexion, and his voice,And dreadful arms, rattling with mighty noise.
Her face, said the woman, was black like the mouting foot, (one of her own expressions) the very colour which her face had when she died. She saw her walking under the fruit-trees, and over the beds where the seeds had been sown, bowing her body downward, as if she had been seeking somewhat off the ground, saying to herself, “A stane, a stane;” for so she pronounced the words; for she had gathereda considerable number of small stones in her lap, which the woman saw her throw down at a bush root, near to the foot of the yard. Some may apprehend that these were the stones which she frequently cast in the night-time. This woman seeing her, says, with very great confidence, “Wow! what’s thou doing here, Isabel Heriot? I charge thee, by the law thou lives on, to tell me.” See the like expression, page16. She replies, or rather the foul fiend in her likeness, “I am even come again, because I wronged my master while I was his servant; for it was I that stealed his shekel.” This was a Jewish shekel of gold, (which, with some other things, had been stolen from him several years before,) “which I hid under the hearth stone in the kitchen, and then when I flitted, took it to the Canongate, and did offer to sell it to a French woman, who lodged where I served. She asked where I got it? I told her I found it between Leith and Edinburgh. One night,” says she, “I was riding home late from the town, and near the head of Fauside-brae, the horse stumbled, and I said, The devil raise thee; where upon the foul thief appeared presently to him, and threatened me if I would not grant to destroy my master the minister, he would throw me into a deep hole there, which I suppose is still yet remaining: or if I could not get power over my master, I should strive to destroy the schoolmaster.” It was very remarkable, that one of the minister’s servant women, had given to the schoolmaster’s servant woman some linens to make clean, among which there was a cross-cloth of strong linen, which could never be found, though diligent search was made for it, till one morning the master awakening, found it bound about his night-cap; whichbred admiration both to himself and his wife; no more skaith was the devil or the witches able to do him. What way this was done, or for what end, it cannot be well known; but it is probable, that they designed to strangle and destroy him in the night-time, which is their usual time of working and doing mischief. This happened about the time, I suppose, that the devil had charged Isabel Heriot to destroy this honest man; yet within two days, a young child of his, of a year old, fell sick, which was quickly pulled away by death, none knowing the cause or nature of the disease.—But I proceed. She confessed likewise, how the devil met with her a second time, at Elphinston-mill, within a quarter of a mile of Ormiston, and told what the devil did to her.—And says she, “I was coming one night from Haddington-market with horse-corn, and met with the devil at Knockhills, who bid me destroy Thomas Anderson, who was riding with me; and because I refused; he threw the horse-corn off the horse.” This Thomas Anderson was a christian man. It is well remembered yet, that she went the next morning timeously, and brought home her oats, which had lain there all night. “And moreover,” says she, “I cheated my master when I went to the market to buy oats; for I made him believe I gave more money for the boll than I did. And do not you remember, Isabel Murray, that one night, you coming out of the minister’s house, got a sore knock on the back with a stone? It was I, but it was not for your own sake, but for your goodman’s sake, William Craig, who threw me one day into the Jawhole, and abused me.” She told this woman likewise, that she would fain have spoken with her master. After this conference, the woman began to be afraid, andcame running home in haste.—During all this time, there was no person in the family that met with any hurt or skaith, or saw any thing, such, was the Lord’s kindness to them all. One Isabel Elliot a witch, confessed to the minister, that many nights his house and yard would have been beset with witches. The same woman asked the devil one time, Why they could not get amends of him? He told her, he was locked up.—This woman, Isabel Heriot, was never reputed a witch, nor delated by any for witchcraft; some jeeringly would have called her so. She was indeed ignorant of religion, notwithstanding of the many excellent opportunities she had for gaining knowledge. Next her riding and travelling from far places in the country, in the night as well as in the day time, and coming home late without fear, and her stunkard ill nature bred suspicion. If she had confessed a compact with the devil, before her death, it might have been a good ground; but this trouble happening to the family immediately after her death, and her apparition being seen, gave all occasion to say she was a witch. But these things do not infallible conclude. But what could her apparition be? It behoved to be either her real body, informed and acted by the devil, (for her soul could not be brought back) or only the devil taking upon him her shape and form, acting and imitating her to the life; which is more probable.
I have adventured to publish this without his knowledge, presuming so much upon his goodness, love of truth, and useful instruction to the world, though I should displease his own humour, whilst haply I may, upon this mature consideration, gratify some more noble principle in him. For I know nothing in the thing that can turn to his dishonour;for the best of men and families have suffered from the devil in extraordinary ways, and it has been their glory, that by their faith and courage, and confidence in the arm of God, they have overcome him. If I have erred in some circumstances, or in any other thing, I am to be excused, since I was not an eye-witness. And what I have written anent the apparition, was most part from the woman’s own mouth.